I didn't state that and I doubt whether it is in legislation anywhere - but then nor are there for ergonomic standards which are clearly understood as best practice e.g. having screens at eye level; I don't know if any organisations make laptop stands compulsory; in fact I haven't seen any commercially available laptop stands that provide that height.
Specifying black bezels on the other hand is usually a low or no cost option which the OH&S staff would advise is best for reducing eye fatigue and the lawyers would add that its one less area of potential litigation or union action. I'd be amused to see what if anything Apple Inc's spokesperson/s has to say about why the change to all black on the new monitor. Given the colour schemes of the 24" I suspect we would hear about "simple elegance" and similar - although marketing might add "highest professional standard" and dodge follow up questions about the 24." I've just about talked myself into painting the "chin" of the old iMac black after researching this topic. Selling kits of suitable paint etc. for older and 24" iMacs could be a business opportunity for someone.
There are OSHA standards for screen placement, seating and posture, keyboard size, etc. Maybe you have different info, but I have never seen anything about bezel colour, nor would I expect there to be. With appropriate ambient room lighting, it's a complete non-issue. Nor have I ever seen anything about bezel colour in Canada either in terms of ergonomics.
Here are OSHA's recommendations in the US:
OSHA said:
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MONITORS | |
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1. Make sure the screen is large enough for adequate visibility based on task performed. Smaller units will make it difficult to read characters and larger units may require excessive space. | |
2. The angle, tilt and height should be easily adjustable. | |
3. If multiple monitors are used, enough space and clearance are provided for them. The monitor that is used most should be in front of the employee. | |
4. Provide a docking station for laptop computers so the monitor can be placed in the best possible location. | |
MONITOR – Consider these points when evaluating the monitor and its placement. | Y |
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1. The monitor has sufficient adjustability so the top of the screen is at or below eye level so the user can read it without bending their head or neck down/back. | |
2. Adjustability is sufficient so users with bifocals/trifocals can read the screen without bending the head or neck backward. | |
3. There is sufficient room so the monitor can be placed at a distance which allows the user to read the screen without leaning head, neck or trunk forward/backward. (Generally, about 18 to 20 inches or arm length) | |
4. Monitor position is directly in front of the user so they do not have to twist head or neck. | |
5. If multiple monitors are used, the position of the primary monitor is directly in front of the user and the other monitors are directly beside it. If time is split evenly between monitors, they are next to each other within a comfortable viewing angle with minimal head movement. | |
6. Glare (from windows, lights) is not reflected on screen causing the user to squint or assume awkward postures to clearly see information on the screen. | |
7. Monitor brightness and contrast is adjusted for comfort. | |
Anyhow, I currently use 30" Cinema Display with silver aluminum bezels, and a MacBook Air with silver aluminum bezels. As mentioned, the bezel colour is a non-issue. I also use 27" iMacs and MacBook Pros with black bezels. They're fine too of course.
I also had MacBooks with white bezels. Again for ergonomics, the colour was a non-issue. The annoyance though was that the white plastic could get dirty unless meticulously cleaned regularly. I think this is probably the best argument against white bezels, aside from the use of plastic in those old MacBooks. However, if it's white under glass, obviously this wouldn't be an issue.